Hello. I teach English Language Arts to both 6th and 7th graders. Whether you are a parent or student reading this page, I believe it is helpful and productive to learn a little about who I am as both a teacher and person out there in the world.
I grew up in Tacoma, Washington, graduating high school in 2005. I enlisted into the United States Marine Corps that same year and served as a Rifleman/0311 from 2005-2009.
After moving back to Tacoma, I enrolled in a local community college (Pierce College Puyallup) with the intent to transfer to a four year university to study English. Writing and reading have always been passions of mine, so I decided to pursue it further. I finished my transfer degree (Associate of the Arts) in just over one year. I then transferred to Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, where I received my BA in English Language and Literature with a Minor in Creative Writing in 2013.
While pondering whether or not to pursue a career in teaching, I decided to volunteer some time in a 9th Grade Honors English classroom in the Tacoma School District. I spent most of the 2013/2014 school year volunteering in this classroom. During my volunteer work with Tacoma Public Schools, I worked closely with students and teachers from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. I learned quite a bit about the lives of adolescents and a little bit about the public education system. Working closely with the students and teachers in Tacoma solidified my decision to become a teacher. I began filling out graduate school applications.
When I finished volunteering, I was accepted into the University of Puget Sound's Master of Arts in Teaching program. After successfully completing a considerable amount of graduate level coursework, state mandated assessments (WEST-B, WEST-E, edTPA), and my student teaching experience, I completed my Master's Degree. It has been a very long road to becoming a teacher and I am proud of my opportunity to work with middle school students.
I have now lived and worked in Prosser for 3 full years. This is my fourth school year teaching in the district.
In my spare time, I read, write, skateboard, and spend time with my dogs, Oliver (a Chihuahua mix), Wednesday (a Chihuahua mix) , and Cecil (mastiff/yellow lab mix). I am a huge dog lover.